About

Hi, I’m Julia Leonel Rabello, founder and creative director of LEONELL.

I was born in São Paulo, Brazil, where I grew up with an urge not to look like everyone else. As a child, I loved dressing up, playing with the hats my aunt brought back from Italy, along with pearls and scarves. Being an introvert, I found that fashion became my way of speaking when words weren’t enough. It led me to study Fashion Business, and along the way I discovered how to truly express myself through color, texture, and style, always with a hat, of course. I may be quiet, but you will notice I’m here.

In 2017, I moved to Berlin, and the city’s creative energy changed everything. One night, watching a crowd dance, my eyes were drawn to a single person wearing a hat. That moment stayed with me. Years later, I asked myself: what if I learned to make the red boater hat with a veil that I had never been able to find?

In 2019, I took a hat making course at Central Saint Martins in London, the school of my biggest fashion idols, and everything just clicked. I had finally found the channel I’d been looking for. Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to mastering this traditional craft and creating pieces that are luxurious, distinctive, and made with care for bold people like me.

Before LEONELL, I spent more than 10 years in fashion marketing, building brands that feel personal and connect with people on a real level. That experience shapes how I run my own label today: every piece carries a story, and every detail is intentional, from the design to the way it reaches you.

LEONELL carries my mother’s family name, my way of staying close to my roots and the people who made me who I am. Living in Germany made me realize how Brazilian I truly am: emotional, intense, warm and passionate.

I hope my hats help you dress like your true self, with passion and without limits. If you choose one of my pieces, know that you’re carrying a piece of my heart and history, and for that I will be forever grateful.

With love,
Julia Leonel Rabello
The biggest hat freak